After returning from Charente I had a great weekend spent in North Wales and Pex Hill with conditions being very cold and dry. I ticked an old nemesis in King of Drunks and then did the superior right hand version, both were brilliant. I started to work Wavelength with Dave but whilst getting some good photos for him, his hands slipped off the greasy edge and he smashed his arm into the encroaching boulder, causing much pain! We had to cut the day short but not before I did that grim but fun dyno from the crimp and mono to the top (hellraiser V5 or something?).
The next day at Pex was superb and I managed to get Catalepsy done in about 5 goes, after dropping the jug on the flash attempt :( (I kind of agree with Ben and think it may only be V6 after all). The highlight of the day was Mike crushing Monoblock for the 5th ascent, making it look like a path!
The entire week was amazing, so we spent another session at Pex on the Tuesday and I had one of my best sessions ever climbing North and Southwest Overhang from standing and as it got very dark and cold, the sit start into North West that felt easily the hardest thing I've done in the UK. Lamplight sessions are definitely the way to go for good climbing conditions in Merseyside.
The weather kind of deteriorated after that and I got some hours in at the wall to help save for Mike's stag weekend and the font trip in March.
Last week marked a welcome return to the cave and current bane/addiction/mental barrier in my climbing. I went with Si and Tom late in the day and we warmed up in Split as we still had some daylight. As the darkness descended rapidly, we fired up the lanterns and got stuck into the warmups (Beaver righthand and some other unnamed V4). I retro flashed them all and felt great, had a rest and went over to Rock Attrocity. I practiced the finish from the pocket 3 times in a row and it felt easy. After brushing it all and drying a couple of the footholds, I pulled on and completely cruised through to the pocket. I still felt strong but as soon as I reach up for the pinch before the final hold I seem to hit a complete wall and all energy leaves me in an instant. This was about the 8th time I've been at the same point and it doesn't seem to be getting any easier, maybe I need to get here more than once every 2 months?
I feel way stronger than at the end of 07 when I was getting to the same point and can only put my failure down to lack of mental focus and/or power endurance. I don't know whether to keep going at it and see if it just happens or to start training power endurance circuits indoors. (I was starting to do this once a week before our board got suddenly closed! :()
I'm half looking forward to watching Tom's video of me on the problem, but not sure whether it will help me get psyched again or depressed about the last move. Maybe it's time to start trying some other problems in there?
Mike's stag weekend was a great laugh and the image of Dave's post-paintball injuries will stay with me for a long time as a reminder to never run out infront of 20 people solo! He looked in agony all of Sunday when a few of us went to Crag Y for a relaxed session. I felt like shite and just about managed to send a 7A and 7A+, but there are 2 problems that have me very motivated to go back in the form of a horizontal 6 inch roof dyno (bullet) and a sit start problem beginning with a fantastic long move off a mono to a crimpy sloper and then hard deadpointing to a pocket (the vision).
Today I'm back at home visiting my mum and making up for missing Mother's Day. I have a nice card that I made myself and a present which should help me avoid being disowned and banned from future family events!
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